Which one should you use?
While пока-пока is a repetitive, cute or very informal way to say goodbye, the single form пока is the standard informal way to say "bye". Additionally, пока-пока is much more casual than the formal до свидания, which should be used in professional or polite settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
пока-пока is informal. For more formal situations, you can use до свидания for "goodbye" or Всего хорошего (meaning "All the best") to wish someone well in their future endeavors. The single form пока is also an informal way to say "bye".
How do you pronounce it?
poka-poka
When do people say it?
In various contexts, you might use other parting phrases. For example, use До встречи to mean "Until we meet again" when you expect to see someone in the near future or До скорого to say "Until soon" when you will see the person shortly.
Did you know?
- In many Russian regions, you might hear people say 'Давай' (meaning 'Give' or 'Go ahead') as a substitute for 'bye', which acts as a verbal nudge to end the conversation.
- The word пока actually means 'while' or 'for now'. By saying пока, you are essentially telling the other person that you are leaving them 'for the time being'.
- While пока-пока sounds like a repetitive nursery rhyme, it is actually quite common for Russian adults to use this 'doubled' form when speaking to very close romantic partners or extremely close friends.
Examples in context
- Пока-пока!Bye-bye!This example is useful for seeing the use of пока-пока.Tatoeba #6714883 by maaster, translation #6714881 by maaster
- Спасибо за встречу. До свидания!Thank you for the meeting. Goodbye!
- До свидания. Удачи вам!Goodbye. Good luck to you!
- Пока, увидимся!Bye, see you!
- До встречи!Until we meet again!
- Ну, всё, пока-пока!Nu, vsyo, poka-poka!Well, that's it, bye bye!
- Малыш, пока-пока, я скоро вернусь.Malysh, poka-poka, ya skoro vernus'.Baby, bye bye, I will be back soon.
Example conversation
Sergey is leaving Maria after a quick visit.
- Сергей SergeyМне пора идти, Мария.Mne pora idti, Mariya.It is time for me to go, Maria.
- Мария MariaХорошо, Сергей, пока-пока!Khorosho, Sergey, poka-poka!Okay, Sergey, bye bye!
- Сергей SergeyДо встречи!Do vstrechi!See you!
- Мария MariaУдачи!Udachi!Good luck!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
